Pediatric surgery is a diverse field with specialties including ENT, general surgery, transplant surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedics, anesthesiology, and plastic surgery. Some surgeries are rare, such as fetal surgery and pediatric ophthalmology. Children require different treatments than adults, and pediatric surgeons are trained to provide specialized care.
The types of pediatric surgery are intensely varied, and it can be said that children may need many of the same treatments that are given to adults. They are not, however, “small adults” and pediatric surgical specialties have emerged due to the different treatments that children need. Some of these specialties are quite common and some are very rare.
Some of the more recognized types of pediatric surgery include ear, nose and throat (ENT) or pediatric ENT surgery. A doctor who specializes in surgery in these areas may be particularly interested in treating conditions that affect children. Removal of the tonsil or placement of tubes in the ears, for example, are examples of types of pediatric surgery that can be performed by a pediatric otolaryngologist. It must be stated that these surgeons can perform many other complex operations.
There are also many people who are simply pediatric surgeons, and these physicians may work closely with other specialists, in the same way that general surgeons tend to work with adult physicians. They may participate in surgeries that correct abnormalities of things like the kidneys or spleen. Also, they could do surgeries involving the gastrointestinal tract. Although they are specialists, they have a more general field of practice and a wide variety in the types of pediatric surgery they can perform.
More specialized is the work of the pediatric transplant surgeon, and these surgeons are far fewer in number. They tend to have thorough training in general surgery and can also become specialists in pediatric cardiothoracic surgery. Although the surgeries performed may have more limited variations, this is one of the types of pediatric surgery performed only by the most qualified surgeons.
By itself, pediatric cardiothoracic surgery is an important specialty, as approximately 8 out of 100 children are born with a congenital heart defect. These surgeons repair defects or palliate them whenever possible, and some specialize in transplantation. CT surgeons can also operate on adults, as the whole field of cardiac defects is not covered much by cardiac surgery specialties on adults.
Other types of pediatric surgery include pediatric neurosurgery and pediatric orthopedics. The former can work to correct a number of brain anomalies, spinal problems or the presence of abnormal growths, and the latter can work with children for many reasons which include abnormal growth patterns, tumor removal or a myriad of additional orthopedic challenges. . Anesthesiology is another major surgical specialty that is valuable in almost every other type of pediatric surgery and there are pediatric anesthesiologists.
Several types of pediatric surgery are so rare that they are only practiced in a few medical centers around the world. Fetal surgery, performed on unborn babies, is one of these and may require a physician’s knowledge not only of fetal surgical techniques but also of a variety of birth defects or problems that may arise during pregnancy. Some hospitals have specialist pediatric ophthalmologists who can perform corrective eye surgery. Another specialty area is pediatric plastic surgery.
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